Ten Essential XBLA Games

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When we check your hard drive we better find these picks installed.

By Daemon Hatfield

Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) really came into its own this year. From enormous adventures you can sink dozens of hours into to modest but addictive little puzzle games, Microsoft's downloadable game service has a wide variety of quality offerings.

We know this time of year there are a bunch of new Xbox 360 owners out there, so we've put together this list of the ten essential XBLA games you should download pronto. This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything the service has to offer, but it's a good jumping off point. There are great XBLA games not included in this top 10, but these are the titles we think have the most mass appeal and deserve a home on everyone's hard drive.

Sure, it's just Uno, but it's also one of the most fun social games on XBLA. Uno's statistic tracking and online leaderboards add surprising depth to this package and hooking up an Xbox Live Vision Cam makes it a very social experience. Like the card game, this is a relaxed affair where you just sit back and toss cards into the center pile. With such a de-emphasis on gameplay, Uno opens up opportunities for players to chat and hang out. Plus, it's only $5.

The first Geometry Wars was dangerously addictive, and this sequel will keep you hooked even longer with new modes and great multiplayer features. You pilot a ship in a small, rectangular arena, moving with the left stick and shooting with the right. When you destroy an enemy it leaves behind tiny green orbs that can be collected to increase your score multiplier – and as this is a classic arcade-style game it's all about earning that high score.

Trials HD is one of this year's surprise success stories. Despite having little buzz leading up to its release it ended up being one of the most popular XBLA games of 2009. The simple, Excitebike-style gameplay and thrilling stunts you can pull off must have something to do with it. Trials HD does get frustratingly difficult in its later stages, but few other games provide the same adrenaline rush. The level editor, leaderboards, and replays really take advantage of what can be done with Xbox Live.

One of the most popular videogame mascots ever received an extreme makeover with Pac-Man: Championship Edition, and there was much rejoicing. This is an all-new 2D maze race complete with a few new gameplay twists that bring the franchise up to date with justice. Championship Edition feels fresh and exciting. The classic Pac-Man is still there, but the new features are brilliant and fit in perfectly with the overall purpose of the Xbox Live Arcade.

Imaginative, innovative, and engrossing, Braid is a spectacular achievement. If you're in the mood for something deeper than an arcade shooter, this fairytale puzzle game should fit the bill. To complete Braid, you'll need to collect the puzzle pieces strategically positioned in the various rooms of each fantasy world. The pieces you gather are then assembled into a small puzzle that reveals a piece of artwork. Completing a puzzle adds a section to a ladder, which leads up to the final world and a confrontation with the beast that stole the Princess. This is the real challenge of Braid -- collecting every puzzle piece and solving the riddle of the final world.

Oh, Puzzle Quest. What did we do to deserve you? Casual gamers have their Bejeweled, and hardcore players have their RPGs. Long have the two groups been content to remain separate and play their respective games. But Puzzle Quest began a socialization experiment that is finding gamers from both camps playing the same game. It attempts to marry characteristics of traditional RPGs with the pick-up-and-play mechanics of a casual puzzle game -- and succeeds. The unlikely marriage makes for one of the most addictive experiences available on XBLA.

Castle Crashers takes the best elements of traditional side-scrolling beat-em-ups and adds lots of flair. There's some great humor here and some delightful surprises to be discovered. Of course, the most important thing is that it's a whole lot of fun -- especially when you play with friends. Castle Crashers is an enjoyable ride and one every 360 owner should experience. Fan of classics like Streets of Rage or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade games? Castle Crashers takes those to a whole new level.

Peggle is pure happiness distilled into a low-cost digital download. Like all good casual games, it's simple enough for anybody to pick up and instantly start having fun with. To play, all you have to do is aim a little ball dispenser and fire with the A Button. From there, you just watch the ball bounce its way down through a field of pegs, clearing out each one that it hits. Peggle may be a casual experience at heart, but it can hook you like few other games.

'Splosion Man is bursting with humor, personality, and classic platforming challenges. A secret experiment has gone horribly wrong and you have been imbued with explosive powers. Not a moment goes by without seeing something new and exciting and 'Splosion Man himself is one of the most endearing new videogame characters of the year. Twisted Pixel clearly had fun creating this insane game, and you'll have fun playing it. 'Splosion Man lets us revert to something primal and barbaric, and detonate our intellectual side.

Not just one of the best XBLA games of 2009, Shadow Complex is one of the best of the year – period. The classic, exploration-heavy gameplay is just as addictive as it was in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid. A tranquil date in the woods quickly takes a turn for the worse as you become involved in trying to stop a terrorist plot to overthrow the U.S. government. The $15 price tag is completely justified as this is one massive action game.